Summary of ZOE Science And Nutrition Podcast Episode: The shocking damage ultra-processed foods cause to your brain
— Description —
Ultra-processed food has a significant impact on the brain, affecting memory, learning, and overall health Consumption of such food can lead to negative effects on the hippocampus, influencing learning, memory, and mental health The quality of diet is consistently linked to the risk of common mental disorders like depression and anxiety, as well as dementia
Industrialized food production has led to dead soil and a potential loss of 30% of the food producing capacity of the soil across the world in the next 100 years Ultra-processed food intake is associated with increased risk of depression and all-cause mortality Small reductions in the consumption of ultra-processed foods can help mitigate the risk of depression, especially in children and adolescents
Choosing whole foods like frozen vegetables, legumes, tinned fish, and pre-cut salads can lead to a healthier diet and diverse gut microbiota The impact of industrialized food on health and the environment is estimated to be around 11 trillion dollars on health and 7 trillion on the environment The evidence linking ultra-processed food intake to negative outcomes is strong, similar to the impact of smoking
Proper food policy is needed to support healthier food choices for mental and brain health.
The shocking damage ultra-processed foods cause to your brain
Key Takeaways
- Ultra-processed food has a significant impact on the brain, affecting memory, learning, and overall health.
- Consumption of ultra-processed food can lead to negative effects on the hippocampus, influencing learning, memory, and mental health.
- The quality of diet is consistently linked to the risk of common mental disorders like depression and anxiety, as well as dementia.
- Industrialized food production has led to dead soil and a potential loss of 30% of the food producing capacity of the soil across the world in the next 100 years.
- Ultra-processed food intake is associated with increased risk of depression and all-cause mortality.
- Small reductions in the consumption of ultra-processed foods can help mitigate the risk of depression, especially in children and adolescents.
- Choosing whole foods like frozen vegetables, legumes, tinned fish, and pre-cut salads can lead to a healthier diet and diverse gut microbiota.
Beware: Ultra-processed Food Damages Brain
- Ultra-processed food has a shocking impact on the brain, with two-thirds of food intake in the US and UK coming from such food.
- Professor Felice Jacka, an expert in nutritional psychiatry, highlights the concerning effects of ultra-processed food on memory, learning, and children's brains.
- Stopping the consumption of ultra-processed food may allow the brain to heal, as indicated by research findings.
Avoid Ultra-Processed Foods for Health
- Ultra-processed foods are deconstructed from original ingredients and put back together with artificial sugars, food colorings, preservatives, and emulsifiers.
- The NOVA classification system categorizes foods from completely unprocessed to ultra-processed, but there's a need for nuance and understanding of food systems and politics.
- Ultra-processed foods with long lists of unrecognizable ingredients should be avoided, but some foods like wholemeal breads may still have healthful properties.
- Gut bacteria produce neurotransmitters and influence the amount of serotonin in the brain by metabolizing tryptophan, which in turn affects the hippocampus, a region of the brain associated with memory and learning.
Diet Quality Impacts Brain Health
- The hippocampus is the only part of the brain that can grow new neurons and shrink over time, and its size is directly related to the quality of diet.
- Studies have shown that diet quality is linked to the size of the hippocampus, affecting learning, memory, mental health, and appetite regulation.
- Consuming unhealthful foods can impact hippocampal-related learning and memory tasks within a short period, and reverting to a healthy diet can reverse these deficits.
- The quality of diet is consistently linked to the risk of common mental disorders like depression and anxiety, as well as dementia.
- The oral microbiome, influenced by diet, may be linked to dementia risk, and diet can affect mental and brain health through various pathways.
- Highly processed foods may not be recognized by the body and brain in the same way as whole foods, leading to a loss of complex interactions and nutrients.
Fiber Complexity: Not Simply 'Fiber'
- Prof. Felice Jacka emphasizes the importance of different types of fibers and how they are treated by gut microbes differently. She highlights the complexity of fiber and its effects, stressing that it can't be simply labeled as 'fiber' in processed food. She points out the major issue of the food system and the expectations of gut microbes. Jonathan Wolff expresses surprise at the $20 trillion cost of the global food system.
Industrialized Food: A Global Catastrophe
- The impact of industrialized food on health and the environment is estimated to be around 11 trillion dollars on health and 7 trillion on the environment. Biodiversity in the environment influences the biodiversity in us, our microbes in our gut, and every part of our body.
- The industrialized food production has led to dead soil and a potential loss of 30% of the food producing capacity of the soil across the world in the next 100 years. The introduction of fast food restaurants in Norway led to an increase in body size and a decrease in IQ among children.
- The evidence linking ultra-processed food intake to negative outcomes is strong, similar to the impact of smoking. Poor diet and smoking are roughly equivalent in being the main causes of early death. Ultra-processed food intake is associated with increased risk of depression and all-cause mortality.
Beware: Ultra-Processed Foods Impact Depression Risk
- Prof. Felice Jacka discusses the increased risk of depression associated with higher intake of ultra-processed foods, especially among those at the higher end of the socioeconomic spectrum.
- Jonathan Wolff expresses frustration about people trying to eat healthily based on food labels, only to realize that many ultra-processed foods marketed as healthy are not actually good for health.
- Prof. Felice Jacka emphasizes the impact of ultra-processed foods on the reward system of the brain, particularly in children and adolescents, and suggests that even small reductions in consumption can help mitigate the risk of depression.
- She advises using apps to make healthier food choices, reading labels carefully, and opting for whole foods like frozen vegetables, legumes, tinned fish, and pre-cut salads, which are not only nutritious but also cost-effective and easy to prepare.
Diet's Impact on Brain Health
- A healthy diet means a more diverse gut microbiota, linked to frailty and cognitive decline in older age.
- Improvements in cognitive decline and depressive symptoms can be seen within a short timeframe by changing diet.
- The hippocampus is super plastic and can be influenced by diet and exercise, impacting learning, memory, and mental health.
- Ultra-processed food has a direct impact on the brain, affecting mood, cognition, and overall health.
- Diet is crucial for mental and brain health across the entire lifespan, and proper food policy is needed to support healthier food choices.